


Among Ghosts

by naberiie



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Survivor Guilt, Vah Ruta, very faintly implied sidlink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 11:39:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19084270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naberiie/pseuds/naberiie
Summary: A very brief character study; Link takes a rest from freeing Ruta - and Mipha - and confronts his guilt in the pressing silence of the Divine Beast.If he wasn’t a coward – if he thought he could face the stares of the Zora, the anger of the elders – he could transport back to the city, sleep in a warm bed. But the King, and Sidon, and all the others… what would they say if he came back, without freeing Ruta, without freeing Mipha, without stopping the thing that terrorized their domain?





	Among Ghosts

Camping inside a Divine Beast was… strange.

He wouldn’t have called it _sleeping_ , or _staying the night_ , because those carried with them a feeling of peace. Of relative safety. Link – tucked into the safest, driest corner he could find, curled into his Hylian cloak and watching the meat slowly roast over the flames – got the distinct feeling he was trespassing, violating some ancient code of conduct all but written into the very walls of Vah Ruta itself.

He felt as though he were desecrating a temple. Though… his eyes wandered up through the open levels of the Divine Beast, towards the black and angry pulsing purple of the malice that clung to the walls. Vah Ruta was corrupted already. It had killed Mipha, her death lingering, even after a hundred years. He was sleeping among ghosts tonight

Even the air burned with the corruption, and Link rubbed his chest, as if the motion could stave off the desolation that he took in with every breath.

He turned the meat, and, his nerves itching from the all-encompassing silence that pressed down on him, he stood and walked towards the entrance.

The air outside tasted better. He put his hands on the low railing and leaned over, as far as he could. He closed his eyes and felt the dying warmth of the sun on his back, the wind through his hair. He could taste the sting of electricity on the air – another storm due tonight.

At least the claps of thunder would drown out the unnerving sounds of the pools, the whispers he swore he could hear underneath that malice.

If he wasn’t a coward – if he thought he could face the stares of the Zora, the anger of the elders – he could transport back to the city, sleep in a warm bed. But the King, and Sidon, and all the others… what would they say if he came back, without freeing Ruta, without freeing Mipha, without stopping the thing that terrorized their domain?

He couldn’t go back until he’d set it right. Even if he couldn’t remember the details of what had transpired, even if his memories of Mipha were foggy, hazy at best – it’d been his fault.

Between spending the night with ghosts, or watching the sunlight fade over the statue of the Champion he had failed to protect, he’d rather spend it here. A night sleeping among the ghosts was better. It’s what he deserved, anyways.

He cracked one eye open to glance towards the dock where he and Sidon had set off, hours earlier.

It was empty.

Link’s stomach sank before he’d even realized how much he’d wanted to see Sidon standing there still, with that huge warm – gorgeous, wonderful – smile. He felt entombed now, the empty dock slamming him against a wall of loneliness.

He turned and went back inside the Beast, back towards his merrily crackling fire, so out of place among the weighted silence of the corrupted machine.

He slumped heavily against the wall, and – not caring if it was a bit foolish – signed, in a desperate wish to talk to someone, anyone: _Mipha?_

For a moment, all he could hear was the low rumbles of thunder, the strange murmurs of the malice. And then–

“I’m here, Link.”

She didn’t sound angry, or bitter.

She just sounded sad.

Link sniffed, blinking away unexpected tears, as he turned the meat over again. He tried to think of what he could say, and couldn’t, so all he signed was: _I…_ _I am so sorry._

For just a moment, he swore he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, pressing lightly through the fabric of his tunic. “You did what you could. It wasn’t your fault.” The pressure lifted, and then, a little farther away, he heard her say, “I will watch over you. There will be a hard battle to come, but I believe in you.” The flames stood still, the faint breeze from the opening stopped, and gooseflesh rose on his arms.

He didn't say he didn't quite believe in himself. 

He didn’t say that he felt as though all the Zora were right to hate him. That they _should_ hate him. That Mipha – out of everyone – absolutely should hate him.

He didn’t say any of that, and tried to ignore the corruption of his chosen shelter as night fell and plunged the interior of the Beast in darkness.

 The silence pressed down on him.

**Author's Note:**

> First non-Star Wars related fic, hot damn. I'm replaying Breath of the Wild and am having a myriad of emotions, so I might be writing more? We'll see!
> 
> I hc Link as selectively mute as a result of major PTSD/anxiety. He's also nonbinary, but that doesn't come up here.
> 
> I just really really love this brave and guilt-ridden Champion. He's doing his best.
> 
> [tumblr](https://naberiie.tumblr.com/), [twitter](https://twitter.com/naberiie)


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